The Voices (7/10): Ryan Reynolds like you've never seen him before

“Do you ever hear voices?”

The Voices is a bizarre dark comedy starring Ryan Reynolds in one of his best performances to date. It is directed by Marjane Satrapi who’s better known for her Iranian Oscar nominated animated film Persepolis. The Voices takes a common element from animated films and applies it in a dark way here in this live action movie. We can all recall the classic angel and devil scenes in the Tom and Jerry cartoons where the voices tell the character what to do. Satrapi takes that familiar premise and applies it extremely well here as Reynolds’s character speaks to his pets. His dog, Bosco representing the angel, while his cat, Mr. Whiskers represents the devil. They are both voiced distinctly by Reynolds in a humorous way. Despite having some serious psychological issues, Reynolds’ character is likable and we get to see things through his perspective. Satrapi does a great job of making sure we identify with his isolated character before presenting the world as it actually is instead of through his eyes. The Voices has some tonal shifts and does become a bit less interesting towards the final act, but the buildup is rather engaging and funny. Having Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver in the supporting cast is always a huge addition and they all deliver solid performances. The Voices is one of those films that has its flaws, but despite it all feels unique and inventive as you never quite know what direction the film is going to go to next. It’s a quirky film that benefits from a strong and memorable performance from Reynolds who manages to make his character likable despite the horrible things he does. 

Ryan Reynolds is Jerry, a quirky but charming guy who falls for one of the employees at the bathtub factory he works at. He seems likable, but it is easy to see that there is something off about him. His crush is played by Gemma Arterton who doesn’t seem too interested in him. She works in the accounting department along with Lisa (Anna Kendrick) and Alison (Ella Smith), whom she likes to spend time with after work. One night they invite Jerry along and Lisa seems to have a liking for him, but he insists on courting Fiona (Gemma Arterton). One night she stands him up for a date and things take an interesting turn. Jerry isn’t a very social person, but we get to see him interact with his pets at home. Jacki Weaver plays his psychiatrist, Dr. Warren, who tries to help him in his attempts of courting Fiona but reminds him he mustn’t stop taking his pills. 

The Voices is offbeat and some tonal shifts may take you out of the movie, but it works thanks to Reynolds performance. His schizophrenic behavior is a good explanation as to why the film seems to change gears from dark comedic moments to horror. His voice work is impressive and it lightens up the mood in an otherwise dark film. Satrapi has managed to direct a unique film which is hard to categorize because it switches gears on us. The greatest thing about The Voices is how well Satrapi manages to portray the world through Reynolds’ eyes during one moment and then present things how they really are in the next. Despite losing some of its appeal during the final act, I still enjoyed this and found Reynolds performance to be worth recommending. It’s messy, but at the same time remains stylish and inventive.

Magic in the Moonlight (6/10): More of Woody Allen's recycled characters, but still a charming film

“She won’t fool me.”

Woody Allen is a talented writer who simply never stops working. Every year we get a new film from him and of course that means that his films are not all going to be Award worthy. In that sense Magic in the Moonlight might be disappointing because it’s not going to win any award, but I still found it to be a charming and light hearted film. I’ve actually enjoyed all of his recent films although they really never blow me away (with the exception of Midnight in Paris which is my all time favorite Woody Allen film). I have a fun time with the dialogue and the characters he creates, although I know most of them are recycled and tend to appear over and over again in his films. The characters in Magic in the Moonlight are characters we’ve seen before in his previous work and there isn’t anything fresh or inventive about this movie, but I am sure Woody Allen fans will appreciate his work. This time Allen takes us to the gorgeous French riviera setting the film in the 20’s. The cinematography by Darius Khondji is gorgeous and the lighting is perfect, giving the film an almost fairytale look to it. The score is also very playful, similar to what Allen does in all his films. Magic in the Moonlight is beautiful to look at, it has the familiar comedic pacing from Allen, and of course he includes some of his personal philosophy and ramblings through his characters. The romance might feel a bit forced, but the performances elevate the material and make this an enjoyable experience. Of course the dialogue feels very theatrical and explanatory at times as Allen tries to set things up and introduce every character in the narrative, but that first act is probably the one I enjoyed the most. Allen’s films are recognizable and familiar, but I’d still prefer this over most other romantic comedies released these days.

The cast in this film is wonderful. Colin Firth is given the rather difficult task of making his narcissistic character likable and he pulls it off really well. I usually tend to dislike these characters, which make me feel disengaged, but Firth’s natural charm managed to keep me interested. Emma Stone is also sweet and delightful in this film. The romance might not be memorable, but the way these two actors played off each other was remarkable. The tone of this film might be light, but it is still charming thanks to these two actors who keep us engaged and entertained. I can see how some audiences might feel disappointed considering this is a Woody Allen film and it doesn’t live up to his best work, but I still found it to be a quite pleasing and fun film. Marcia Gay Harden, Simon McBurney, and Jacki Weaver are charming as well in their secondary roles and add to the overall light and entertaining mood of the film. There are some funny moments and the film does get off to a strong start, but unfortunately it begins to drag as we approach the end. It’s far from being memorable, but it still manages to be an entertaining watch.

My Review: Parkland (7/10)

¨It's the first time that the secret service has lost a president under its watch.¨

I'm actually surprised I enjoyed this film so much considering the bad reviews it has been receiving and my lack of knowledge on the historical details about the assassination of John F Kennedy. There have been many films made about this specific event, but very few have taken this approach where you get to experience things through the eyes of secondary characters and people behind the scenes like the Parkland medical staff that had to attend the president, or Oswald's brother who is shocked to hear his brother has shot the president. The apparently small scaled moments of this tragic event (like how the medical staff decide to keep the president's boxers on during surgery to preserve his dignity, or the urgency with which the Secret Service agents were trying to get a film of the assassination developed, or how Robert Oswald reacts when he hears that his brother is the prime suspect of the murder) are what truly make this film gripping and unique. The film has its flaws such as failing to have narrative cohesion and the characters are underdeveloped at times, but I think it worked really well considering everything happened so fast and these people had to make split second decisions. The overall feeling of chaos and messiness of the events that took place really transcend here as everything happens so fast and the film is reduced to a length of merely 90 minutes. The film follows a semi documentary style that totally works because you can feel the tension and urgency with which they had to deal with during such a catastrophic event. Parkland is Peter Landesman's first feature film and somehow the movie touched me in a way that apparently hasn't touched most audiences or critics. I didn't expect to like this film as much as I did, but I really felt engaged from the very opening scenes up to the very end. It doesn't offer new insight to a popular historical event, but it does tell the story differently. As we approach the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death this might be a movie worth checking out (just don't go into it thinking you are going to get another Oliver Stone JFK). The film's strongest strength relies on this sense of urgency and how it depicts the events in real time as everyone had to make life changing decisions in a matter of seconds. But it also seems to be its weakness as many consider it to be a little too over the place and chaotic with little cohesiveness.

The film follows the tragic events that occurred in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 involving the assassination of President John F Kennedy. The story focuses on the perspective of the people in the sidelines that witnessed the event first hand like the medical staff in Parkland Hospital that were there that tragic day. Young Doctor Jim Carrico (Zac Efron) was the resident doctor that day in Parkland, and some of the nurses that were there to assist him were Nurse Doris (Marcia Gay Harden) and the emergency room nurse played by Mallory Moye. We get another perspective of that day through the eyes of a small businessman named Abraham Zapruder (Paul Giamatti), who happened to capture the assassination on his Super 8 camera. We also see things through the eyes of Dallas's chief of the Secret Service, Forrest Sorrels (Billy Bob Thornton), an FBI agent named James Hosty (Ron Livingston) who was investigating Lee Harvey Oswald (Jeremy Strong), and Lee Harvey's brother Robert (James Badge Dale) and mother (Jacki Weaver) who react differently to the news about the murder. All these different perspectives are weaved together giving us an engaging film and different insight into what was going on. Tom Welling, Mark Duplass, Colin Hanks, Jackie Earle Haley, and Kat Steffens all play secondary characters in this star studded cast. 

There were some strong performances in this film although not really Oscar worthy. I specially liked James Badge Dale in this film who gives a quiet but brave performance, while Paul Giamatti rings true with his emotional performance as he has to deal with the pain of viewing the horrific event he captured on camera. The rest of the cast didn't really stand out considering they all had very little screen time, but it was good to see some of these talented actors working together. Jacki Weaver is a talented actress and she proves it once again in this small role. The cast is solid and the script is also pretty engaging. I was glad everything was depicted so fast and that the film didn't run too long.

My Review: Silver Linings Playbook (9/10)

¨The only way to beat my crazy was by doing something even crazier. Thank you. I love you. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up. ¨

Silver Linings Playbook is director David O. Russell’s second straight Oscar nominated film for Best Picture after the his critically acclaimed The Fighter. This film is very different from his previous work although it also has to do with family relationships in some sort of way. It is based on Matthew Quick’s novel of the same name and the screenplay was adapted by Russell himself which resulted in a really quirky but sharp script. There are plenty of hilarious moments in the movie and Russell has really raised the bar for rom-coms by mixing it with some realistic drama. These romantic comedies are very hard to come across these days, but Russell manages to deliver a nearly perfect one thanks to his sensitive direction. He did take a huge risk with this film considering its thematic was a bit tricky since the main character does require some patience and forgiveness from the viewer. He is not a very likeable character at the beginning, but if you stick with him and give him a second chance he will win you over. It is not easy to make a romantic film when you have two main characters suffering from bipolar and OCD disorders, and on top of that mix it with comedy, but Russell was very sensitive about the subject. I really love Russell’s style of direction, and you either love his movies or hate them. I really found this movie to be easy to connect with as it is a heartwarming and funny story despite the complications and tricky subject matter. Critics are calling this film crazy good, and I agree with them because it is deeply romantic despite being strange and neurotic. Besides we are all a little crazy, and I think Russell was pointing that out through every character in this film.

We are introduced to Pat (Bradley Cooper) in the very first scene of the movie, who is being discharged from a mental institution by his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) against medical advice. Apparently Pat was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after finding his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), having an affair with a fellow co-worker and nearly beating him to death. He was sentenced to be institutionalized for eight months, and after doing so his mother was free to take him back to Philadelphia as long as he live with his parents and stayed away from his wife who had placed a restraining order on him. Pat is received with some surprise by his father, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro), who had no idea he was coming home, but Is happy to have his son back who he considers a lucky charm for the Eagles’ games. Pat Sr. is a very superstitious guy and after losing his job he’s been making a living through sports gambling. Pat’s life changes when he meets another troubled woman named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who has recently become a widow and a sex addict. Pat desperately wants to get back with Nikki and will do what it takes to win her back despite not being able to get near her. Tiffany offers to give Nikki a letter from him if he agrees to enter a dance competition with her for which they will have to rehearse extensively. Both characters suffer several meltdowns and seem to have some sort of shared neuroses, but in some odd way they end up helping one another and struggle together to rebuild their lives.

This film really deserves all the buzz that it received first from TIFF way back in September, and then from its recent eight Oscar nominations, including the big five (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay) which hadn’t happened since 2004 (Million Dollar Baby), and it also received Oscar nominations in all four acting categories, which hadn’t happened since 1981 (Reds). The cast is truly wonderful in this film, everyone gives such great performances. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence both expanded their range in this film and went way out of their usual comfort zone creating some unique characters. Lawrence especially surprised me with her quirky performance, and her entrance in the film truly shifts the momentum of the movie. I was really not sold with Silver Lining Playbook until she appeared giving Cooper´s character a lot more likeability. I loved her in two scenes; the first being the one she has a meltdown in the restaurant and goes off on Cooper and the second being the confrontation she had with Pat Sr. For those two scenes alone, Lawrence could win the Oscar. Cooper, De Niro, and Weaver were all outstanding as well. These characters were all well drawn and the actors took advantage of that delivering solid performances. The film has such a great pacing building the momentum up to the very climactic ballroom dance routine. It was something special. The message had a pretty positive outlook as Russell seemed to be reminding us that we should all look for a partner that can coexist with our craziness and not try to find one that will lead us out of it as we usually do. This was a great and optimistic film that deserves all the buzz it has been receiving.

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